Wild & Woolly Summer 2014

Wild & Woolly

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: 77 Bucks Start Pasture Test Bluegrass Performance Invitational

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Goat Twilight Tour And Tasting

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Articles or Photos Wanted

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Sheep Station Boasts Many Accomplishments

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Sheep Station Slated For Closure

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Sheep & Goat

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Katahdins are Most Popular Sheep Breed

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NSIP Webinar Recordings

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Sericea Lespedeza for Natural Control of Coccidiosis

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High Quality Forage Helps 8 Maintain Resilience to GI Parasites Sheep Farms with Footrot Needed

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Pen vs. Pasture Study Underway

Skillathon Results

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New Hoop House Erected 9 FAMACHA© Workshop

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Calendar of Events

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The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.

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“Green” Goats

By Mary Bowen Owner It is easy to see that our roadsides, open fields, woodlands and backyards are becoming overrun with invasive species and other unwanted vegetation. Machines often can't get to problem areas, humans hands are very labor intensive, and herbicides are dangerous to our waterways, soil, and desired vegetation, not to mention animals and humans.

If left alone, invasive plants take over our woodlands, strangling valuable trees and threatening important diversity. Open grasslands and neighborhood backyards become overrun, creating a loss in farming productivity, habitat for birds and other wildlife, and enjoyment of outdoor space.

When it comes to clearing unwanted vegetation, goats can provide an ideal alterna-

(L-R): Agro. Jorge Rodriquez, Enrique Escobar, Mary and Jacqueline Bowen

tive to machines and herbicides. They graze in places that mowers can't reach and humans don't want to go (yes, they love Poison Ivy). In fact, goats eat a wide range of unwanted vegetation, which on the East Coast include Kudzu, Oriental Bittersweet, Ailanthus, Multiflora Rose, Japanese Honeysuckle, Mile-A-Minute and much much more.

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Virtual Toolbox for Small Rumnant Producers Farmers and Extension educators have an expansive new resource available to them in the Small Ruminant Toolbox. The toolbox is a collection of practical, proven materials covering a wide variety of topics, including pasture and herd management, marketing, pest management, quality of life and whole-farm sustainability.

The toolbox includes guidance on how to structure a workshop, dozens of PowerPoint presentations, and other materials.

Well-received courses such as the Tennessee Master Meat Goat Producer Program, a

978-page Small Ruminant Resource Manual and the Small Ruminant Sustainability Checksheet are also included.

The 60-page Small Ruminant Sustainability Checksheet helps farmers adjust their practices to the changing realities of the marketplace and their farm. It is the center piece of the toolbox.

Toolbox materials are free to access online or can be purchased on a USB flash drive at www.sare.org/ruminant-toolbox.

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77 Bucks Start 2014 Pasture Test

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101 bucks were consigned to the 2014 Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test. In order to reduce stocking rates and parasite burdens, consignments were reduced to 79. Seventy-seven (77) bucks were delivered to the test site on May 30.

After a short adjustment period, the test began on June 5. It will last for 84 days.

The final data will be collected on August 28.The 77 bucks were consigned by 23 breeders from 13 states: Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Almost all the bucks are Kiko. There are a few crossbred bucks and one Boer.

While on the test, the goats will be evaluated for growth, parasite resistance, and parasite resilience. For the first 42 days of the test, the goats will graze cool season grass paddocks that have been pre-infected with worm larvae. This will serve as their “parasite challenge.” During the second 42 days of the test, the goats will graze annual pastures. This will serve as their “growth” challenge. The bucks were receive a 0.5 g copper oxide wire bolus at the beginning of the growth challenge.

Bucks that do not qualify for the sale may be purchased via private treaty from the Maryland test site. http://mdgoattest.blogspot.com

Bluegrass Performance Invitational Bucks meeting Gold, Silver, and Bronze standards of performance (and minimum standards for reproductive soundness and structural correctness) will be sold at the Bluegrass Performance Invitational in Frankfort, Kentucky, on Saturday, September 6.

In addition to the top-performing bucks, the sale will include does from performance-tested herds. Sixty does, of different ages, have been consigned to the sale. All consigners are participants in the 2014 Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test.

The sale will start at 1 p.m. Lunch will be available for purchase. There will be an educational program prior to the sale. Speakers will include Dr. Ken Andries from Kentucky State University and Dr. Richard Browning from Tennessee State University. Dr. Andries conducts the Kentucky Goat Herd Improvement Program (GHIP) which helps producers utilize on-farm performance data. Dr. Browning did a multi-year study comparing the performance of Boer, Spanish, and Kiko goats and their reciprocal crosses. He also does on-farm performance testing.

Dr. Browning spoke at the Western Maryland Goat Field Day & Sale in 2009.

There will be a social gathering and opportunity to view the sale animals on the evening of September 5.

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Pen vs. Pasture Study Underway Thirty Kiko bucklings began the pen vs. pasture study on June 5, (after a short adjustment period). The bucks were randomly allocated to two groups: pen and pasture. The pen goats (n=15) are being kept in dry lot and fed hay (ab libitum) and grain (whole barley, hand-fed once daily). The pasture goats are grazing alongside the bucks in the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test.

Similar to the test goats, the study goats will be handled every two weeks to determine body weights, body condition scores, coat condition scores, dag and fecal consistency scores. At the end of the 84-day feeding period, all of the study goats will be harvested to collect carcass data.

The carcasses will be deboned to measure portions of lean, fat, and bone. A sample of the Longissimus dorsi muscle will be removed for fatty acid analysis.

The Pen vs. Pasture study is being funded by a Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board grant.

Goat Twilight Tour and Tasting The second annual Goat Twilight Tour & Tasting will be held on Thursday, July 31, from 5:30 p.m. to dark, at the Western Maryland Research & Education Center in Keedysville.

In addition to wagon tours of the goat test facility and research program, there will be an opportunity to taste recipes prepared with goat meat. The recipes will be prepared by a local chef.

To make sure we have enough meat, pre-registration (free) is required for the event. You can pre-register by calling Pam Thomas at 301-432-2767 x315. You may also pre-register by sending an e-mail to Pam at pthomas@umd.edu. The preregistration deadline is July 21.

The Western Maryland Research & Education is the location of the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test. This year, there are 77 bucks (mostly Kiko) on test. The tour will also showcase the Center’s pen vs. pasture study, a four-year project in which the performance and carcass characteristics of pen-fed and pasture-raised goats are being compared.

This year’s event is sponsored by the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board, which funds the pen vs. pasture study.

Articles or Photos Wanted Do you have a small ruminant business or favorite breed you’d like to write about. Perhaps, you’d like to share an experience that might benefit other producers. If so feel free to submit an article for the newsletter. Be sure to include an image or two. Send your submissions to Susan at sschoen@umd.edu

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Sheep Station Boasts Many Accomplishments •

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The US Sheep Experiment Station (USSES) developed the Columbia, Targhee, and Polypay breeds of sheep. Complete pedigrees have been maintained for these breeds, as well as for the original Rambouillet sheep that were used to develop these breeds. The Targhee and Rambouillet make up the majority of sheep raised in the West. The Polypay is raised throughout the United States. The station’s database is over 90 years old, making it the oldest and most comprehensive and active databases for sheep in North America.

In the 1930’s the USSES established the “standard” of how to measure vegetation in the sagebrush steppe so that the resulting scientific data could be valid and meaningful. To date, numerous researchers and multiple agencies worldwide still use these methods and guidelines to accurately monitor shrubland vegetation. Recently, USSES scientists, working with other labs and universities, have published new techniques that have adapted these methods for use in remote sensing applications, such as for images from satellite and aircraft.

Beginning in the 1920’s, the USSES began monitoring fires, vegetation, and weather on sagebrush steppe property; this monitoring is active today. From these data, scientists have described how sagebrush steppe responds to drought, fire, and grazing. Multiple agencies throughout the West use these findings to develop management plans for lands undergoing extensive drought or recovering from fire.

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Beginning in 1966, the USSES started monitoring sage grouse lek populations. It was not until the 1980’s that other agencies began to do the same. When combined region wide, these records enable biologists to estimate the status of sage grouse populations of the Upper Snake River Plain.

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Using data from vegetation-monitoring efforts, USSES scientists first documented invasive plant species in the Upper Snake River Plain. Since then, scientists have developed various grazing and land-rest protocols to combat invasive weeds after fire or drought. These recommendations are used to combat cheat grass, leafy spurge, and spotted knapweed, which are some of the most aggressive and noxious weeds in the West.

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The USSES has been grazing public lands for almost 100 years. Grazing management plans have been tested to determine the most appropriate grazing rotation that is profitable for the sheep producer, yet healthy for the rangelands and ecosystems. During the 100 year history of grazing, both wolf and grizzly bear populations have recovered. Sage grouse populations thrive on USSES lands. Annual USSES lek counts often exceed regional counts. The USSES has documented information that demonstrates that domestic and wild species can successfully co-utilize range and forage lands.

Source: U.S. Sheep Experiment Station Talking Points, American Sheep Industry Association.

Sheep Station Slated For Closure On June 17, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced to Congress that he would close the US Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, Idaho. Vilsack's letter said the station would close November 3. Congress has 30 days to react to Vilsack's decision. The clock starting ticking on June 20.

The American Sheep Industry Association (ASI) has expressed disappointment with the agency's decision to close the sheep experiment station, as well as the processes by which the decision was made public.

According to Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID), "closure would have a substantial impact on the western sheep industry." Simpson was concerned "that people in the industry were not consulted before ARS made the decision." If the station closes, 21 full-time employees would lose their jobs, which represents 5% of the full-time jobs in very rural Clark County, Idaho.

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Girls Sweep Junior Sheep & Goat Skillathon For the second year in a row, the Junior Sheep & Goat Skillathon was swept by girls. The 1st place junior was Lizzy Miller from Montgomery County, Maryland. The 1st place intermediate was Mckenzie Ashby from Virginia.

The 1st place senior was Lydia Smith from Vermont.

The 2nd place junior was Chet Boden from Virginia. The 3rd place junior was Edy McDougal from Washington County. The top junior team was from Frederick County. Team members included Kiandra Strickhouser, Jessica Martin, and Caroline Clark. Washington County had the second place junior team: Edey McDougal, Marlie Snyder, and Addison Snyder.

2014 winners (L-R): Lizzy Miller, Mckenzie Ashby, and Lydia Smith Second place intermediate Kallam Latham tied for 1st place with 433 points; the tie was broken by written test scores. Kallam was last year's top junior.

The 3rd place junior was Caleb Boden from Virginia. The top intermediate team was from Virginia. Team members included Caleb Boden, Haley Seabright, and Mckenzie Ashby. The second place intermediate team was from Frederick County: Kallam Latham, Kariana Strickhouser, and Laura Dutton.

Only one point separated the first and second place seniors. Emily Soils from Charles County, Maryland, placed 2nd. John Hancock, also from Charles County, placed 3rd. Brietta Latham, last year's top intermediate placed 4th.The top senior team was from Virginia. Team members included Courtney Walls, Matt Ferrari, and Evan Lineweaver. Frederick County has the second place senior team: Brietta Latham, Ian Sanville, and Ray Martin IV. The ten top individuals from each age category received a premium and ribbon from the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association. Members of the top three teams received festival t-shirts. The top individual in each age category received awards provided by the University of Maryland Extension Small Ruminant Program.

This was the first year in which goats were added to the skillathon stations. The name of the Skillathon was changed from Sheep & Wool to Sheep & Goat.

(Terrill Neal)

The Sheep & Goat Skillathon is held at the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival. For more information, visit the skillathon web page at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/ programs/skillathon/skillathon.html.

Sheep Station Slated For Closure (continued from page 4) Western members of Congress have asked to stop closure of the station by disapproving ARS's request to reprogram the funds. Reprogramming funds would result in closure of the station. According to Vilsack's letter, none of the station's reprogrammed budget would go towards sheep research.

The US Sheep Experiment Station is the sole research center dedicated to sheep. It was established in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson. Sheep have grazed the same lands for almost 100 years. Over the years, the sheep station has done research vital to the sheep and range industry, including the development of three breeds (Columbia, Targhee, and Polypay) and various long-term grazing studies.

In recent years, the sheep station has been plagued by lawsuits by animal rights activists and environmental groups, who are concerned because ONE grizzly bear died at the station. At the same time, continuous underfunding of the station has reduced the number of scientists and the research that they are able to do.

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Katahdins are Most Popular Sheep Breed In 2013, Katahdins surpassed Suffolks as the most popular breed of sheep in the United States, as measured by registrations and transfers. In fact, the Suffolk breed slipped to #3. Hampshires are the second most commonly registered sheep breed. Dorsets, Dorpers, and Southdowns round out the top six.

Transfers, which are an indication of sales, movement, and growth of a breed, were also tops in the Katahdin breed. Hampshires had the second most transfers, followed by Dorpers, Dorsets, Suffolks, and Southdowns.

The Katahdin is a hair sheep developed in Maine in the 1950's. They are an easy-care breed that doesn't require shearing, crutching, and tail docking. They are more resistant to gastro-intestinal parasites than other breeds and excel in reproductive traits, such as fertility, prolificacy, mothering ability, and milk production.

At one time, there were three times as many Suffolks registered as any other breed. In terms of purebred registrations, Southdowns have probably been the most consistent breed over time.

Source: Director's Corner, Katahdin Hairald, Spring 2014.

NSIP Webinar Recordings The 6-part webinar series on the National Sheep Improvement Program (NSIP) concluded on June 5. The webinar series was hosted by University of Maryland Extension.

All of the webinars have been edited and made public for viewing. The PowerPoint presentations that accompany the webinars have been uploaded to SlideShare. For links to the recordings and presentations, go to http:// www.sheepandgoat.com/recordings.html#NSIP. The recordings are in the process of being converted to YouTube videos and other user-friendly formats.

NSIP is a quantitative genetic evaluation program for sheep and goat producers. NSIP calculates EBVs (estimated breeding values). An EBV is an estimate of an animal's genetic worth and a prediction of its offspring's future performance.

All "serious" sheep producers should listen to the first webinar by Dr. Robert Banks (University of New EnglandAustralia). All "serious" goat producers should listen to the second webinar by Dr. Ken Andries (Kentucky State University). Producers who show their livestock are encouraged to listen to Bill Schultz's webinar. After years of showing sheep, Bill converted to a performance-based flock.

More Information On Sheep & Goats Can Be Accessed At: http://www.sheepandgoat.com/

http://mdgoattest.blogspot.com

http://www.sheep101.info/

https://www.facebook.com/MDSmallRuminant

http://mdsheepgoat.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/MDSheepGoat

http://www.acsrpc.org

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Sericea Lespedeza for Natural Control of Coccidiosis Sericea lespedeza (SL) has been scientifically proven to reduce barber pole worm (Haemonchus contortus) infections in sheep and goats. The condensed tannins contained in the Lespedeza are credited with control, though the mechanism is not fully understood. Control has been achieved when animals consume SL as either fresh forage, dry hay, or leaf meal pellets.

During various studies, researchers noticed that SLfed animals also had cleaner hind quarters and required fewer treatments for coccidiosis. This has led to more recent investigations into the effects of Sericea lespedeza on Eimeria spp. (coccidia) infections in lambs and kids.

The results of three experiments were published last year in Veterinary Parasitology. In the first experiment, weaned lambs were fed either alfalfa (control) or SL pellets, with or without amprolium (Corid速) added to their drinking water. In the second experiment, lambs were fed a control or SL creep supplement before and after weaning. In the third experiment, weaned lambs were fed a control or SL supplement and inoculated with 50,000 sporulated oocysts.

Lambs on SL study in Arkansas (USDA ARS) reduced in the SL-fed lambs, compared with control fed lambs.

Findings from a similar study were reported recently in an abstract published by the Journal of Animal Science. At Fort Valley State University, weaned bucklings were assigned to two treatment groups, based on Eimeria oocyst counts. They were fed either a control or SL diet. After 7 days, the SL diet reduced oocyte and worm egg counts by 96.9 and 78.7% respectively, as compared to the animals fed the control diet. There was no difference in packed cell volume (PCV) between the two dietary groups. Fecal scores were not recorded and there was no indication as to whether any kids required treatment for coccidiosis.

Collectively, these studies show that sericea lespedeza has the potential for reducing coccidiosis in lambs and kids. The findings should be of particular interest to organic producers, who lack control options for coccidia.

SL Pellets and leaf meal ( USDA ARS image) In the first experiment, while fecal oocyst and (worm) egg counts were similar, the control lambs had higher fecal (dag) scores than the SL-fed lambs, suggesting more signs of coccidiosis. Oocyst counts declined more rapidly in amprolium-treated lambs. In experiment 2, fecal oocyst counts decreased after weaning in the SL-fed lambs and remained lower. Postweaning coccidiosis treatment was required in 33% of the control lambs, but none of the SL-fed lambs. In the third experiment, oocyst and egg counts were

Researchers recommend that SL be fed 1-2 weeks before weaning and 3-4 weeks after weaning. Recommendations for longer term feeding are contingent upon the mineral status of the flock/herd, as SL may affect trace mineral status and growth rates of lambs/kids.

About sericea lespedeza Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) is a perennial, warm season legume that can be grown on soils too acidic or infertile to support other forage legumes. It is classified as a noxious weed in some states, due to its invasive nature and lack of palatability for cattle.

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High Quality Forage Helps Maintain Resilience To GI Parasites

by Dr. Ken Turner Research Animal Scientist USDA-Agricultural Research Service Grazinglands Research Laboratory El Reno, Oklahoma

Introduction Control of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites (especially the blood feeder Haemonchus contortus) in small ruminants is a problem for sheep and goat producers. Gastrointestinal parasite overloads reduce livestock performance and production efficiency, and can result in increased death losses of animals. Oral anthelmintics (dewormers) are typically administered to reduce worm burdens; however, Haemonchus infesting sheep and goats have developed resistance to commercial anthelmintics.

Red Clover

Instead of monthly deworming, selective deworming of individual animals should be considered. Use of the FAMACHAŠ eyelid score system in the control of Haemonchus can slow development of resistance of this GI parasite to commercial dewormers. In addition, consideration must be given to maintaining healthy sheep and goats by satisfying dietary nutrients requirements, especially protein.

Grazing Management Grazing management generally is a grazing plan that synchronizes duration of the grazing interval with plant growth characteristics of the sward. This is accomplished by moving or adjusting the number of grazers on a given land area. There are a variety of forages used in grazing systems for sheep and goats. In order to provide forages with high nutritive value (high crude protein [CP] and total digestible nutrients [TDN]) for livestock, grazing management should be used.

Rotational Stocking One management method commonly used for grazing livestock is rotational stocking. With rotational stocking, a specified pasture is usually divided into two or more units termed paddocks, then a specified number of animals are allotted to the first paddock and allowed to graze for a period of time before being moved to the second paddock, and so on. Paddocks are rested to allow herbages time to re-grow; given adequate rainfall, 30-45 days is typically sufficient for most forages. Animals are moved between or among paddocks throughout the grazing (plant growing) season.

Grazing management using rotational stocking helps maintain desirable herbage with high nutritive value (high CP and TDN). This is especially important for young or lactating animals which have a higher requirement for nutrients compared to mature or non-lactating animals.

Legumes Establishing and maintaining legumes in pastures improves protein levels in the diet of grazing livestock. In addition, legumes generally have higher levels of several minerals (calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc) in comparison to grasses. These minerals can help maintain a healthy immune system in animals and thus improve tolerance to GI parasites.

Improving Resilience in Sheep and Goats Maintaining forages with high nutritive value (including increased protein levels by utilizing legumes in pastures) helps to increase resilience in sheep and goats to GI parasites. When grazing sheep and goats on (Continued on page 11)

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Sheep Farms with Footrot Needed The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is seeking sheep farms with footrot to participate in an applied research project funded by Northeast SARE. The project is in its 4th year and has already gathered data from approximately 1,000 sheep in the northeast. The researchers are seeking data from additional flocks to determine if a genetic marker can be identified for possible resistance to the footrot.

Sheep farms with footrot from the following states are sought: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and West Virginia.

If you have footrot in your flock and would like to participate, please contact Principal Investigator Richard Brzozowski at richard.brzozowski@maine.edu or (207) 951-7155.

All information about participating farms is confidential. For more information about the project and the protocol, see http://umaine.edu/sheep/.

New Hoop House Erected After many years of planning, a 30 ft. x 48 ft. hoop house was constructed in the central laneway of the Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test. The hoop house will house the handling system and provide shelter for the goats in the test. Previously, the only shelter the goats had was several port-a-hut structures. It will be interesting to see which shelter they prefer: hoop house or port-a- hut.

There is also enough room in the hoop house to put in fenceline feeders. During the second phase of this year’s test (growth phase), plans are to limit feed a good quality hay.

It is a ClearSpan™ structure purchased from Farmtek. The plastic covering is expected to last 4 years. The hoop house was put up by the farm crew at the research station.

The hoop house will provide a stress-free, healthy environment for both the goats and workers, after years of suffering through extreme heat, rain, and hail!

Hoop house update Hoop House Update On July 8-9, storms damaged the hoop house cover beyond repair. The storms were short in duration, but were accompanied by fierce winds. The cover was removed and will need to be replaced. Some modifications will be necessary to prevent a repeat occurrence.

FAMACHA © Workshop on July 19 There will be an Integrated Parasite Management (IPM/FAMACHA©) Workshop on Saturday, July 19, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, at the Montgomery County Extension Office in Derwood, Maryland.

The 4-hour workshop will include 2 hours of lecture and discussion and 2 hours of hands-on activity: FAMACHA© scoring and fecal egg counting. The instructor is Susan Schoenian. Participants will become certified in the use of the FAMACHA© eye anemia system. The FAMACHA© system, along with the Five Point Check©, is used to determine when a sheep, goat, or camelid requires deworming.

To register for the workshop, contact the Montgomery County Extension Office at (301) 590-9638 or dgordon3@umd.edu. The registration deadline is Monday, July 14. The registration fee is $40 per person, family, or farm.

Checks should be made payable to Montgomery County EAC and sent to the Montgomery County Extension Office, 18410 Muncaster Road, Derwood, Maryland 20855.

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“Green Goats” (continued from page 1) Goat Grazing Facts: Goats have been used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service. State, county and city contractors (such as the city of Seattle) have also used goats for weed and invasive species control.

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Goats love broad leafed material, which means brush and invading field vegetation are consumed. But they don't prefer grass, so it is left to flourish.

Corporations such as Google are using goats for vegetation management. Google wanted a clean air alternative to noisy gas powered lawn mowers and didn't want toxic chemicals for their weed control. Since the cost of using goats was about the same as mowing, using goats allows Google to show their commitment to low-carbon, non-toxic alternatives

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Goats are agile and light on their feet, so they can be gentler than machinery when working on historical sites and other areas that need special consideration.

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Herbicides seep into water and soil, affecting other vegetation, animals and humans. They also can encourage mutations among vegetation, creating greater and greater problems instead of solving them.

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Goats will graze all day, going through very dense material at about a quarter acre per day per 30 goats (this can vary widely, depend on many factors including density, location and vegetation species).

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Grazing goats are very effective at eating the kinds of excessive weeds and brush that pose a risk of unwanted fires.

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Goats can be stubborn, but they are docile. When effectively led and fenced, they go only where you want them to go.

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Goats have a narrow, triangular mouth that allows them to crush what they eat, so seeds that might otherwise get passed through to fertilization are not viable. This is a true advantage, since machine cutting only encourages further growth in the next growth cycle.

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Day 6 1/4 acre, 13 goats—job done!

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Goats fertilize as they graze, then trample the fertilizer, so that the wanted grasses and other vegetation left behind are given a natural boost!

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Goats have special enzymes in their guts that allow them to eat plants that are poisonous to other animals.

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Goats can climb, allowing them to reach invasive vegetation that grow in hard to reach places.

And, since they eat vines and stems, they can graze at a lower level of a tree covered invasives and as a result, either kill the vines systems that reach higher into the trees or reveal them so that they can be cut.

Goats eat year round, but the best time to use goats depend on the vegetation to be removed.

Why would you want to hire Green Goats?

Green Goats is owned by a certified MDOT woman owned business therefore you are supporting a local based Maryland business and the local economy.

Estimates are free, jobs are based on density, distance, how many goats needed, how large the area is to be cleaned up, and how much preparation is needed to set up the temporary fencing. Goats have to be confined in a temporary fencing that is installed and run by a battery. A water trough is provided for the goats and you provide the vegetation. Monitoring of the progress of the goats is provided and checking on the integrity of the fencing.

Green goats have been hired to clean up properties such as Historic Church cemetery’s, historic farms, golf courses, and many residential homes/properties.

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High Quality Forage Helps Maintain Resilience To GI Parasites (continued from page 8) pasture, resilience can be defined as the animal’s ability to tolerate higher GI parasite burdens and still remain productive (gain weight; produce milk).

In 2012, we evaluated legume (alfalfa or red clover) or cool-season grass (orchardgrass) pastures maintained with rotational stocking to finish meat-goat kids. Use of rotational stocking grazing management resulted in herbage with high nutritive value (high CP and TDN) in all pastures for finishing meat goats without supplementation.

Meat-goat kids grazing alfalfa or red clover (legumes, high protein) pastures gained more weight compared to goat kids grazing orchardgrass pasture despite an increasing fecal egg count in all animals. Meat-goat kids grazing alfalfa or red clover appeared to be more resilient to GI parasites than goat kids grazing orchardgrass.

Implication Use of legume pastures and use of rotational stocking grazing management can provide herbages with high protein and energy levels, helping reduce effects from GI parasitism (especially Haemonchus) in sheep and goats.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on the web site of the American Consortium for Small Ruminant Parasite Control (ACSRPC). It is reprinted with permission of the author.

Sericea Lespedeza for Natural Control of Coccidiosis (continued from page 7) Not all varieties of sericea lespedeza are equal, nor have been tested for parasite control. AU Grazer™, a variety developed by Auburn University, tolerates grazing better than other varieties and has been shown to be effective at controlling barber pole worm infections.

While anyone can grow sericea lespedeza on their own farm, Sims Brothers (in Union Springs, Alabama) is the sole source of Certified AU Grazer® sericea lespedeza seed and pellets. Sims Brothers has dealers located in several states in the Southeast

“Green” Goats (continued from page 11) Owner Mary Bowen is a member of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore SARE program that researches utilizing goats to eat unwanted vegetation.

Bowen is a professional herdsman with many years of experience raising goats. She developed this program with her goats as a way to give back to help save the earth from the herbicides that are used over and over again.

Calendar of Events July 29-31 Eid ul-Fitr (Muslim Festival of Fast Breaking) July 31 Goat Twilight Tour (Open House) and Tasting Western Maryland Research & Education Center, Keedysville, Maryland Info: Susan Schoenian at (301) 432-2767 x343or sschoen@umd.edu (Continued on Page 12) WILD

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Calendar Of Events Continued from page 11 August 2 Pennsylvania Performance Tested Ram & Sale and Invitational Ewe and Doe Sale PA Livestock Evaluation Center, PA Furnace, PA Info: Greg Hubbard at (814) 238-2527 or ghubbard@pa.gov August 30 West Virginia Performance Tested Ram and Buck Sale Reymann Memorial Farm, near Wardensville, West Virginia Info: sheepandgoats.wvu.edu September 5-6 Bluegrass Performance Invitational Sale: sale of top-performing bucks from Western Maryland Pasture-Based Meat Goat Performance Test Lakeview Park, Frankfort, Kentucky Info: http://www.bluegrassperformanceinvitational.com/ and http://mdgoattest.blogspot.com September 27 Virginia Tech Southwest AREC Ram Test Sale & Field Day Southwest Agricultural Research & Education Center, Glade Springs Virginia Info: Scott Greiner at sgreiner@vt.edu or 540-231-9159 or Lee Wright at lrite@vt.edu or 276-944-2200

Wild & Woolly, is published quarterly by the University of Maryland Extension. It is written and edited by Susan Schoenian, Sheep and Goat Specialist, at the Western Maryland Research & Education Center (WMREC), 18330 Keedysville Road, Keedysville, MD, tel. (301) 432-2767 x343 or 315, fax (301) 432-4089; e-mail: sschoen@umd.edu or Pamela Thomas, Administrative Assistant, pthomas@umd.edu. The cost of receiving the newsletter by mail is $10 per year, payable to the University of Maryland. The newsletter can be accessed for free on the Internet at http://www.sheepandgoat.com/news/ index.html. Subscribers to the newsletter listserv will receive an e-mail message when a new newsletter has been posted to the web. To subscribe,send an e-mail message to listserv@listserv.umd.edu. In the body of the message, type subscribe sheepgoatnews.

Comments and suggestions regarding the newsletter are always welcome. References to commercial products or trade names are made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by University of Maryland Extension is implied.

October 4-7 Eid ul-Adha (Musim Festival of Sacrifice Articles and photographs may be reprinted with permission.

University of Maryland Extension Western Maryland Research & Education Center 18330 Keedysville Rd Keedysville MD 21756